Technology and Creativity Collide at Tulsa City-County Library

摘要

The ALA/Information Today, Inc. Library of the Future Award is presented to an organization that plans, develops, and applies a patron-training program that explores IT in a library setting. The 2019 winner is Tulsa City-County Library, for its Digital Literacy Lab (see the awards ceremony photo on page 3). I spoke with Kimberly Johnson (the library's CEO) and Kiley Roberson (the library's chief strategy officer) to learn about the lab and its most distinctive feature: flight simulators. The American Electric Power/Public Service Company of Oklahoma (AEP/ PSO) Foundation Digital Literacy Lab (tulsalibrary.org/programs-and-servic es/aep-foundation-digital-literacy-lab) opened in October 2016. According to the website, "Library visitors may use the Digital Literacy Lab to develop new apps and software skills, try out new pieces of equipment, digitize family history, and more. We provide Orientations twice monthly for the Digital Literacy Lab, along with special programs and classes throughout the year geared towards all ages." These include coding workshops, Photoshop 101 classes, Introduction to Video Editing programs, and Tech Talks on subjects such as machine learning and cryptocurrency.